Close to You
by Miniyuna
Summary: Olive asked Ned a question she couldn't believe she was asking, and he couldn't believe she asked: “Why do you hate being around me?”
1. Close to You

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Close to You

* * *

_'Why do birds_

_Suddenly appear?_

_Everytime you are near_

_Just like me_

_They long to be_

_Close to you'_

Olive Snook listened intently to the song that was currently playing on the radio. Due to the fact that she was once again, had been left behind to clean and close up The Pie Hole while Ned, Chuck and Emerson went off adventuring to the morgue or whatever. She had never paid much attention to where they were going, because every time the small orchestra in her heart played the saddest song in the world over and over again when she saw Ned smile at Chuck in a way he never smiled at her.

Even though she had come to accept Chuck and become friends with her, underneath her heart panged with envy, jealousy, and sadness. Ever since Chuck came to The Pie Hole, she and Ned instantly became so close. A closeness in which Olive greedily craved.

Day quickly turned into night and Olive lazily cleaned the counters since she stopped paying attention to what she was doing a while ago. The soft, smooth melody of the song still carried on the air, Olive listened in silence.

_'Why do stars_

_Fall down from the sky?_

_Everytime you walk by_

_Just like me_

_They long to be_

_Close to you'_

The tranquil air shattered when the bell attached to the door rang. Much to Olive's delight, it was the Piemaker, and he was alone.

"Olive!"

"Hi Ned!"

"Why are you still here? The shop has been closed for a while now."

Unable to come up with a reasonable excuse, and not wanting to tell the Piemaker that she sat in silence for 2 hours dreaming about him, and sulking about him being with Chuck, she lied.

"I left my purse."

Ned cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. "But, you don't have a purse."

"It's brand new and it's small, so you've probably never seen it before. Ever."

"Oh."

Olive threw the towel that she used to clean under the counter and walked over to him.

"Why are you here?"

The Piemaker paused, not wanting to tell his co-worker that he came here for the sole reason that Chuck temporarily didn't want to speak to him, he also lied.

"I left my watch here."

"But you're wearing your watch."

"It's a different watch.

"Okay."

The two nodded awkwardly, and Ned with his hands stuffed stiffly in his pockets, head off to the back to get his "watch", when Olive turned around and asked him a question that he never thought she'd ask.

"Ned, why do you hate being around me?"

The air around them seemed deafening and thick, the song that playing seemed like mere background music, surrounding them in a moment that would almost be called an awkward silence.

_'On the day that you were born_

_The angels got together and decided_

_To create a dream come true_

_So they sprinkled moondust in your hair_

_Of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue'_

At that moment, the only thing that Ned could do was turnaround, and look Olive straight in the eye, only to find out that she was being completely serious.

He only found one word to respond with.

"What?"

Olive sighed, and looked the Piemaker straight in the eye. "You heard me, Ned. Why do you hate being around me?"

"I don't hate being around you!" He shot back a little to quickly. Ned caught his breath and tried again.

"Olive, I do not hate being around you. Why would you think that?"

Her eyes became downcast, and she walked over to the counter and slightly leaned on it.

"I dunno. Maybe it's the fact that despite working with me for 2 years, you refuse to talk to me about anything, you never ask how my day is, and ignore every hint I've given you. To make it all better, along came Chuck and even though you haven't seen her in like forever, you two are snug as a bug! And whenever she's here, you're always miles away from me! I bet you probably wanted me to be happy for you two, but I'm not Ned!"

The Piemaker stared at his co-worker with guilt and pity. Saying nothing, he leaned on the counter as well never taking his eyes off of her.

Olive sighed sadly, and looked at her dear Piemaker. She walked toward him, and as she did Ned straightened up, towering over her. The melody swept over them as they silently looked into each other's eyes.

_'That is why all the girls in town_

_Follow you all around_

_Just like me_

_They long to be_

_Close to you'_

"Look Ned," Olive started, "I know you love Chuck and all, but it's not fair. I mean, I didn't even get a chance."

Ned looked apologetic at Olive and slowly relaxed. "Olive, I sorry. I-I had no idea. I mean, I knew that you had a thing for me but-"

"You knew? Then why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you do anything?"

"My childhood was very difficult Olive. I had a hard time getting close to people I cared about, I'm sorry."

"But when Chuck comes along, it's a whole new story, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes it is Olive. And it's a long one. I, I enjoy your presence and your company Olive, and I don't hate being around you."

Olive sniffed a little and faced toward the front of the shop. "You sure act like it sometimes."

"Olive, I swear to you, I don't."

"Then how come I didn't get a chance?"

She turned to him with tears tugging at the edges of her eyes. Ned hated making people upset, and he never wanted to, but lately he's been having a real knack for it.

"I only wanted _/sniff/_ one thing Ned. And that was to be close to you, and that's all I wanted! I wanted to be close, but you always end up pushing me away… and-"

At that moment, no more words came out of Olive Snook's mouth, because the Piemaker's lips were pressed against hers.

Time seemed to stop, the air became weightless around her, and Olive sunk into a deep pit of happiness and content.

Both of them seemed to be drifting away, with nothing tying them down to earth. The only thing they were hanging onto were the soothing words fading away in the air. Olive was happy. And so was Ned.

_'Just like me_

_They long to be_

_Close to you'_

Olive was happy because she receive the closeness she so dearly craved, and Ned was happy, because inside he realized, he needed to be close to someone as well.

As the two melted into one harmonious being, someone outside the Pie Hole was watching. And suddenly the girl named Chuck felt very far away.

_'Close to you…'_

_- _

_---_

* * *


	2. What Hurts the Most

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Close to You

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What Hurts the Most

* * *

-

'_I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house, that don't bother me_

_I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out_

_I'm not afraid to cry'_

Charlotte Charles, better known as the girl named Chuck, sat in a booth of the newly opened Bitter Sweets Candy Emporium, doing her best to push back the undeniable tears that were freely falling down her face. The crisp song whispering in the background didn't make Chuck's predicament any easier.

'_Stupid song…' _she thought. '_It isn't making anything easier.'_

A powdered pink and baby blue glove shot in front of Chuck's face, holding a single piece of iconic taffy. Dilly Balsam gave Chuck a sweet, but understanding look.

"Candy?"

Chuck softly shook her head no, and wiped away the bitter tears that were falling.

'_Every once in a while even though goin' on with you gone still upsets me_

_There are days_

_Every now and again I pretend I'm okay_

_but that's not what gets me'_

The Candy Maker took a seat across from the girl named Chuck, with her hands holding the piece of taffy wide open.

"You know, the first thing I did after my brother died, was eat a piece of taffy. Eating a piece of taffy is what inspired me to start my business, but I also eat it when I'm in times of trouble. It helps me remind me that life can never be sugar coated, and no matter what we do, it'll always be bitter. And every time I eat even a single piece, it reminds me how strong I am, living in this crappy life, and I'm still able to go on. All that by eating this little bit of taffy. It really gives the word Bitter Sweets it's rightful meaning, doesn't it?"

Chuck sniffed and took the piece of candy from Dilly's hands, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth. Chewing quickly with small salty waterfalls streaming her face.

Dilly softly smiled and folded her hands. "You're welcome, Charlotte."

'_What hurts the most, was being so close_

_And having so much to say_

_And watchin' you walk away'_

The broken-hearted girl swallowed her piece of taffy, doing her best to ignore the song flowing through the air, and shifted her eyes towards her unlikely ally.

"He kissed Olive, Dilly. She kissed back… I don't know why, w-why would Ned-, I don't understand. HE kissed HER, I thought, I thought…"

"He loved you?"

No words came out of Chuck's mouth, and shook her head 'yes', sadly.

Chuck took a deep breath and looked downwards.

"He- He knew I loved him, and he said he loved me, and cared about me. I said, I said that I had to hate him for a little bit …. cause of something he did, and I couldn't talk to him for a while…. Is is that why he kissed Olive? Cause he couldn't kiss me, because he can't kiss me?"

Dilly gently took Charlotte Charles hands, and looked her in the eyes.

"What do you mean he can't kiss you?"

The girl named Chuck sniffed, and looked back at Dilly, debating in her mind if she should tell her Ned's biggest secret.

'_Never knowing, what could have been_

_And not seein' that lovin' you_

_Is what I was tryin' to do'_

"It's-It's a long story Dilly. I-"

The Candy Maker smiled sympathetically, and gave Chuck a kind look. " I understand. You don't have to tell me. Something happened, and it made Ned want to kiss your friend, right?"

Chuck nodded. "That's it in a nutshell."

"Did you know Olive liked Ned? At all?"

"Well, I knew she admired him, I-I thought, I didn't know she loved him, liked him, maybe?"

She sighed sadly, and Dilly patted her hands. "It looks like to me, that I'm not the one you should be talking about this to."

"But Dilly, what am I supposed to say? 'Hey Ned, I saw you kissing Olive, tell me why?'"

"Actually, yes. That seems like a good start to me."

"Dilly, I can't! I can't face him! I pushed him away, I can't talk-"

"You love him don't you?"

'_It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere i go_

_But I'm doin' it_

_It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends _

_and I'm alone'_

"…Yeah…"

"And you want to know why he kissed Olive, even when YOU know that he loves you, right?"

'_Still harder getting up,_

_getting dressed,_

_living with this regret_

_But I know if I could do it over'_

"Of course I do!"

"Then you have every right to march right over to his apartment, push him on a sofa, and ask him, right to his face, 'why'."

Dilly grabbed Chuck's hand, pulled her up, and dragged her over to the emporium's door.

"Dealing with a loss is one of the worst things that can happen. But if you have the power to change it, to make it better, then you have to do anything you can. Anger, self-blame, and revenge isn't the way. don't make the same mistake I did."

She opened the door, and unbeknownst to Chuck at the time, she put a piece of taffy in her pocket and lightly shoved her out and down the stairs. Dilly leaned against the doorframe and smiled.

"Now go set things straight."

Still filled with tears, Chuck gave a thankful smile to The Candy Maker.

"Thank you, Dilly."

And with that, Chuck broke into a sprint towards The Piemaker's home.

'_I would trade, _

_give away _

_all the words that I saved in my heart _

_that I left unspoken'_

8:00 pm.

Ned worryingly looked at his watch every ten seconds, as paranoid thoughts flew in and out of his brain.

_Where was Chuck? Did she see? Does she still hate me? Did I make a mistake? Did I? No yes, maybe-_

"Ned?"

Reacting to his name, he turned on his heels to find Chuck standing behind him, with slightly red eyes. To him, that could only imply one thing.

"Oh god, Chuck, you-you-"

"Yeah, Ned. I saw you kiss Olive. I saw Olive kiss you back. I saw."

"Chuck listen, I-"

"It's, it's fine Ned. I know why you kissed her."

Ned cocked his head and his eyebrows sunk low. "You-you do?"

"Uh huh. You kissed her, because you needed a real kiss. You needed a real person. Not a fake one. You needed someone to hold, to touch, and you couldn't do that with me."

'_What hurts the most, is being so close_

_And having so much to say_

_And watchin' you walk away'_

"Chuck! That's not-"

"No Ned, it is true. I know you don't like touching people, but when you're with someone you suddenly get the need to touch someone. How do you think I feel, huh? I loved you, I cared about you, and I couldn't touch you! I didn't go kissing Oscar did I? I was just happy to be with you. And what do you do? You kiss Olive. I know, I know I said I couldn't talk to you for a while, but I was about to go forgive you! You wouldn't even let be mad, you wouldn't let me forgive you, and you kiss Olive."

"Chuck, I cannot say enough, that I'm sorry. I know it was wrong, but at the moment, Olive needed someone to be with her. And so did I.

'_Never knowing, what could have been_

_And not seein' that lovin' you_

_Is what I was trying to do'_

To Chuck's dismay, the same song she heard at the Candy Emporium was playing softly in the background as well. Its barely audible words pierced the heart-breaking silence.

"Do you love her?"

Ned sighed and looked Chuck in the eyes with a sad pleading look.

Of course I love her. I love you, Olive, even Emerson. You're all my family, and I can't lose my family, not again. Please Chuck, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me one more time? I really don't like making people upset."

"Really? Lately you've had a knack for it."

"I KNOW I know… trust me I never intended it for it to be like that."

"…. I don't know Ned. I just don't know. You're the that said that you only need me for you to be happy. I thought that too. You know, after I saw you kissing Olive, I talked to Dilly. I could have told her your biggest secret. But I didn't. I still cared about you. Even with our, amazingly impossible relationship, even after seeing you happily kiss Olive. I still cared. Because I knew… I knew you needed to touch someone. Only I wish it was me."

"Chuck.."

'_What hurts the most, was being so close_

_And having so much to say_

_And watchin' you walk away'_

"Here, I have something for you, Ned."

She reached into her pocket, and took out the taffy that Dilly had placed in there. She grabbed Ned's hand with a nearby towel, and put the piece of taffy in it.

"It's a little reminder that life can never be sugar coated. No matter what we do, it'll always be bitter. Take that as you will. I'm going to bed."

Not giving Ned a chance to reply, Chuck stormed off the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

And in that single moment, The Piemaker understood better than he ever had before on how Chuck had felt.

This time, he was the one who utterly felt, very far away.

'_And never knowing, what could have been_

_And not seein' that lovin' you_

_Is what I was tryin' to do'_

_- _

_---_

* * *


	3. The Walk

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Close to You

-

The Walk

* * *

-

__

'Inside-out, upside-down,

Twisting beside myself

Stop that now,

'Cause you and I were never meant to be'

"No no no no no no nooooo…"

The Piemaker, clearly depressed, shook his head in agony facedown in his hands. His hair was awry, his clothes wrinkled, and the stress and exhaustion on his face could be seen from miles away.

Across from him was the grumpy detective Emerson Cod, who the Piemaker called two in the morning to join him in The Pie Hole, for reasons he did not specify. Since Ned was exhausted, he could not promise him pie, only his miserable company and the song playing in the background, which only made Emerson more grumpy.

And to make matters worse, it was raining.

__

'I think you'd better leave

It's not safe in here

I feel a weakness coming on

Alright then,

I could keep your number for a rainy day

That's where this ends

No mistakes no misbehaving'

"Okay pie boy, you better tell why the hell you called me here in TWO IN THE MORNING, to listen to you moan, to this crappy song, and to the pouring rain outside, WITH NO PIE?!"

Emerson's anger was ignored by the Piemaker who spoke without lifting his head, muffling every word.

"OhEmersonImadesuchamessoutofthingsIdon'tknowwhattodo…"

"Excuse me?"

"I made a huge mess of things and I have no idea what to do! What do I do? I don't know what to do!"

__

'I was doing so well

Could we just be friends?

I feel a weakness coming on'

"Then why the hell are you talking to me about it?! You should be talking to dead girl, or pie girl, not me!"

"I CAN'T talk to Chuck cause she won't talk to me, and I CAN'T talk to Olive cause it's about me not able to be with her so I can be with Chuck! I don't want to hurt anyone anymore Emerson! I c-can't! I hate making people sad! I hate using the word hate! This isn't me! I-I can't-"

"Okay stop. Now see there's your problem. Who do you love more? Dead or pie girl?"

"…Chuck-OW!"

"Wrong answer!"

With a quick flick of his wrist, Emerson had smacked Ned on the back of head, who looked at him with shock.

"What did you do that for?!"

__

'It's not meant to be like this

Not what I planned at all

I don't want to feel like this

Yeah

No it's not meant to be like this

Not what I planned at all

I don't want to feel like this

So that makes it all your fault'

"Look, I know that dead girl is your childhood sweet heart and all that jazz, but it isn't realistic! Face it! You can NEVER touch her naturally! You either date someone else, or kill her again! Cause watching you two skirt around each other is really getting on my nerves! You're spending so much time with her, you don't notice pie girl crazily trying to win your affections! It's so sweet and desperate it's gross!"

At that moment, Ned knew it was true. It was the cold hard fact, he knew it. But he did not want to accept it. He had no words. Not for him, not for Emerson, and not for either Chuck or Olive. All he could do was listen to the harsh reality called Emerson Cod.

"You are having so much trouble with this because Chuck can never be touched! You are frustrated both ways! Olive is a REAL and ALIVE girl! And you need to talk to those two to end this damn thing! Seriously! I see it everyday and I want to puke."

__

'Inside-out, upside-down,

Twisting beside myself

Stop that now

You're as close as it gets

Without touching me'

The Piemaker shut his eyes painfully while the song drifted in between him and the detective. He opened his heavy eyelids and tears freely fell into nothing.

"I…I can't."

"What?"

"I-I can't leave Chuck. I accidentally killed her dad, I gave her another chance at life, I can't leave her. I love Chuck, I want to be with her."

"But you CAN'T Ned! Do you understand that?"

"I'll find a way. I don't want her to hate me, I don't want anyone to hate me. I love her, I love Olive, I love you. You guys are my family… and-"

"What happened to the guy who never wanted to get close?"

"That guy is gone, Emerson. Or partially gone or I don't know. I don't want to be alone. But at this moment it's all I am right now."

__

'Oh now don't make it harder

Than it already is

I feel a weakness coming on'

Emerson sighed. And for a brief moment it was almost sympathetic. Almost.

"Look, you kissed Olive right?"

The Piemaker nodded.

"Did you feel relived? Did a giant weight off your chest lift? Did you feel good?"

Ned shook his head lightly. "No… I don't know why I kissed Olive, I thought it was because I needed it, I thought I did it because Olive needed it, but I don't know. I had to see, I guess I needed to touch…"

"That's ironic."

"I mean, I know I can't be with Chuck no matter how bad I want to. I knew it from the moment I revived her. But the thing is Emerson, I want to. She's the only connection I have left, I don't want to lose it."

"Is that the only reason you want to be with her? Cause she's your connection to the things you lost? Hell, if I wanted connection to the things I lost, I wouldn't be here. You know how that sounds right?"

He nodded once again. "Yeah…I know."

"What are you going to about Pie girl?"

"I don't know! I don't even know what I'm going to do about Chuck. I don't want to break Olive's heart, she been here for me and I like her company."

"Like it enough to love her?"

__

'It's not meant to be like this

Not what I planned at all

I don't want to feel like this

Yeah

No it's not meant to be like this

Not what I planned at all

I don't want to feel like this

So that makes it all your fault'

"And will you turn that crap off?!"

"I don't know Emerson. I always told myself I loved Chuck, and she saw, and Olive thinks that, and what happened between me and her, I wanted to be close to her once. I usually never want to but, I wanted to show her I can be close, but what hurts the most is… there was a spark."

"That's what happens when you get close. And that's what should happen!"

"I didn't want a spark! I kept telling myself I loved Chuck, I DO love Chuck! And, she and I can be close to each other! It's just certain measures needed to be taken."

"Have you ever considered that you're hurting her? Being around all these people you can touch, except her?"

"I know it must hurt Chuck, but I never meant it to be that way! She knows it, I know it, and all we wanted was to be together! I could never kill Chuck again to be with Olive, I could never live with myself! I don't want to!"

__

'Big trouble losing control

Primary resistance at a critical low

on the double gotta get a hold

Point of no return one second to go

No response on any level,

Red-alert this vessel's under seige

Total overload all systems down they've got control

There's no way out

We are surrounded.

Give in, give in and relish every minute of it'

"Okay okay, you're just repeating yourself now! Look, either tell Olive it meant nothing and tell dead girl you love her, and never ever touch her, and find someone else for Olive so she won't be mopey. OR tell dead girl you have to be with a real person! Ergo, Olive!"

"Emerson listen to me! I can't! I'm emotionally and psychically incapable of doing that! By kissing Olive, I betrayed Chuck, and and and I'm scared Emerson! Okay! I'm scared! I'm scared of losing them both! Life is bittersweet and it can never be sugar-coated! I learned that the hard way!"

"CHOOSE."

"I can't-"

"WHO do you CHOOSE, Ned?! Make a choice!"

__

'Freeze, awake here forever

I feel a weakness coming on

It's not meant to be like this,

Not what I planned at all

I don't want to feel like this

Yeah'

The detective sighed once again, and the Piemaker ran his hands through his already disheveled hair. Soft waves of sound, barely audible wafted around the air in The Pie Hole. To Ned, it was suffocating.

The Piemaker could barely hear himself. It couldn't have even been called a whisper.

"…I want to stay with Chuck. Kissing Olive, though it was reliving, it was a mistake. I want to be Olive's friend, and I want to stay with Chuck. No matter what I want to stay with her. And that's final."

Emerson stared at Ned for a moment before sending a slightly annoyed but satisfied smirk.

"See? Was that so hard? Now can I go home?"

Ned looked up at his cynical friend and gave a slight smile. He wanted to express his gratitude in many different words, but decided to stick with the easiest route for once.

"Thank you, Emerson."

__

'No it's not meant to be like this,

It's just what I don't need

Why make me feel like this?

It's definitely all your fault'

He grabbed his coat off of the table and rushed toward the front door, and somewhere along the way, asking Emerson to turn off the lights and lock the doors for him. And before he could object, Ned was already outside, stepping a step too far into the streets.

You know the saying people say, before the moment you die, time moves in slow motion?

They lied.

The Piemaker's world was quickly engulfed in white. Then darkness.

__

'Feel like this

It's all your fault'

-

--

* * *


	4. If I Didn't Care

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Close to You

-

If I Didn't Care

* * *

-

__

'If I didn't care

more than words can say

If I didn't care

would I feel this way?'

It had been one week, seven days, 168 hours and 10,080 minutes since the Piemaker's accident.

Everyday and every hour since then, the hospital had a daily rotation of lonely tourist Charlotte Charles, female piemaker Olive Snook, and grumpy detective Emerson Cod. All consisting of visits, gifts, heart-felt speeches and apologies that the Piemaker would never hear.

Olive had considered shutting down The Pie Hole temporarily until the Piemaker got better, but Charlotte Charles; better known as Chuck went against it. Knowing that he would want his beloved shop to continue on if anything happened to him that wasn't permanent.

__

'If this isn't love

then why do I thrill?

and what makes my head

go 'round and 'round

While my heart stands still?'

To put it simply, The Pie Hole was in disastrous disarray. Charlotte "Chuck" Charles and Olive Snook hustled and bustled about without saying a single word to each other. Dodging contact and direct diverting of the eyes at all costs. Coming and going, serving and baking, cleaning and tidying, all that and not even a mere whisper left their emotionally fragile lips.

Due to that, The Pie Hole was uncharacteristically filled with an insufferable awkward silence, much like the feeling of being stuffed in a corner of an crowded elevator, instead of its usual family like warmth for the entire week. For both were far to worried about the Piemaker to speak, as well as other things that festered in their hearts and minds and refused to go away.

The events that happened the week before did not disappear easily like day old dust, but lingered on very much like unkempt coffee stains.

In short: Chuck's heart was filled to the brim with remorse while Olive's heart was stinging with guilt. They both sensed it and they both avoided even mentioning it to one another. The customers all agreed that every single one of those pies tasted like tear-soaked ash that week.

__

'If I didn't care

would it be the same?

Would my every prayer

begin and end with just your name?'

Blue neon lights on the phone belonging to disgruntled private eye Emerson Cod flashed furiously on and off from being ignored upon hours on end. Since the accident, Emerson ignored all the murder cases that came his way, and spent most of his time, in other words trying to keep his mind off the grisly memory, by reading/making pop up books and pitiful attempts at crocheting. Knowing full well that without the silent, life-defying help of the Piemaker, he wouldn't get the results that were expected of him. And knowing that same help was in the hospital at this very moment, it would simply leave a bad aftertaste on the tongue of his conscience.

__

'And would I be sure

that this is love beyond compare?

Would all this be true

if I didn't care for you?'

The facts were these:

One week prior, Chuck and the Piemaker got into a one-sided argument about her father, and whether or not he should bring him to life again, if but for a second. The Piemaker declined over and over again, only acting in her best interest, which merely seemed to make her more upset. In the telling of her saying "I can't talk to you for a while", the Piemaker fled to the comforting arms of The Pie Hole, where Olive Snook, who was left behind, was cleaning up.

When the emotional vomiting was out of the way, the male and female Piemaker locked lips that were in desperate need of connection. That very same connection Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles ended up witnessing at the exact moment when she tried to set things straight. In turn, she fled to neighboring former rival Dilly Balsam, owner of Balsam's Bittersweets Taffy and Sweets Emporium across the street.

Following much emotion and taffy analogies, Chuck ventured home to the Piemaker who was worried sick. And after much hopeless debating and much chagrin at the Piemaker's expense, he once again fled to the arms of The Pie Hole, with the company of Emerson Cod, much to the latter's despair.

It was then where grumpy detective Emerson Cod, who was much more grumpy than usual, talked the Piemaker into doing something beyond his comfort zone. Making a choice and accepting whatever the outcome may be. The Piemaker in his nature dodged and scurried away from trying to decide, and eventually took a slap to the back of the head by Emerson himself to help make up his mind.

After much delegation and being very much exhausted, emotionally and physically, the Piemaker thanked his friend and stepped too far into the street, which brings us to right now, at this very moment.

__

'If I didn't care

would it be the same?

Would my every prayer

begin and end

with just your name?

And would I be sure

that this is love beyond compare?'

Olive and Chuck tapped their foot anxiously in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for the ok go to see the Piemaker when he awoke. Emerson semi-nonchalantly flipped through 'Crochet's Monthly' quicker than usual. Even he was a little bit eager to see his fallen friend up and about again.

A nurse with a skirt far shorter than the cut-off walked up to them with a clipboard and green pen in hand.

"You're here for the guy who makes pies and got hit by a car right?"

They both stood up and nodded swiftly. "Yep!" "Uh huh that's us!"

Emerson looked up from his magazine. "Uh huh."

She flipped to a new page and eyed the three of them. "Names?"

"Emerson Cod."

"Olive Snook!"

"Chuck Charles!"

The nurse raised an eyebrow.

"Well, actually it's Charlotte Charles, but I'm known as Chuck! To him, and most."

"Right. I'll be right back."

The girls being too excited to sit back down, stayed standing as they watched the ample nurse disappear behind white walls.

The Piemaker indeed was alive and well. Upon hearing he was the owner of the famous shop The Pie Hole, the staff gave him numerous brand new magazines about pies, baking and seasonal fruit, which were all sprawled across his bedside table. Unbeknownst to the doctors and nurses, they remained unread and untouched, for his sole gaze had been focused on the wall in front of him, barely looking away the entire time.

"Excuse me sir?"

The voluptuous nurse poked her head into his room, tapped the door, and read off the names she scribbled onto the paper.

"You have visitors. A man named Emerson Cod, and two girls. Olive Snook and Chuck Charles."

His gaze left the wall and the Piemaker turned his head to face the nurse, his eyebrows furrowed. He responded with a simple but puzzled,

"Who?"

__

'Would all this be true

if I didn't care for you?'

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_Fin_

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End file.
